POL S 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Glossary Of Tennis Terms, Private Bill, Formal Charge
Document Summary
Constituency: the residents in the area from which an official is elected. Bicameral: having a legislative assembly composed of two chambers or houses; distinguished from unicameral. The 435 members of the house are elected from districts apportioned according to population. The 100 members of the senate are elected by their states, with 2 senators from each. Sociological representation: a type of representation in which representatives have the same racial, gender, ethnic, religious, or educational backgrounds as their constituents. It is based on the principle that if two individuals are similar in background, character, interests, and perspectives, then one can correctly represent the other"s views. Two factors related to the u. s. electoral system affect who gets elected and what they do once in office: incumbency advantage and the way congressional district lines are drawn. Apportionment: the process, occurring after every decennial census, that allocates congressional seats among the 50 states.
